WATCH: 'My son was stolen by Putin's thugs and groomed to hate us'

A father has spoken of the shocking moment armed Russian soldiers kidnapped his son in a new documentary about child abductions in Ukraine.

Volodmyr Sanin's adopted son was groomed by officers who were occupying the families village in the Kharkiv region, plying him with alcohol, cigarettes and promises of a glorious future in Russia.

The 15-year-old boy was taken to Russia where he was being prepared to be sent a military academy in preparation to be sent to fight against his homeland, before a dramatic rescue saved him.

You can watch Volomyr's powerful personal story and others affected by the child kidnapping scandal an exclusive Express documentary released on [06/09/2025].

The video investigation was the inspiration behind the Express's campaign to Return the Stolen Children which calls for relentless focus on the issue of the 1.6 million kids being held hostage by Russia in their occupation of Ukraine.

It highlights the work of Save Ukraine, a charity that specialises in rescuing children abducted by Russia and supporting affected families. Since it was founded in 2014, the NGO has helped rescue 793 children stolen by Russia. In each instance they have taken incredible risks to provide a route to safety for those living in occupied territory.

The documentary's findings are also supported by a new report launched today, based on 200 documented cases of recently returned Ukrainian children and young people authored by War Child UK, Save Ukraine, and the Human Security Centre.

Just as was the case with Sanin's son, the report concludes that the most likely goal of Russia is to "encourage, manipulate, or coerce Ukrainian children into the Russian Armed Forces, including participation in combat against their own country."

Actress Carey Mulligan, who is a War Child Global Founding Ambassador said the report "highlights some truly horrifying new information on what children under occupation in Ukraine are currently experiencing."

She added: "These children have, and continue to be, ripped away from their families, and given military training. No child should be exposed to this kind of treatment, and I hope by raising awareness of this important issue, both governments globally and the public will unite in demanding for the return of every child."

In addition to the research, War Child UK has also launched a campaign, Return Every Child, that urges the international community to take action and signed a partnership with Save Ukraine that will lead to greater availability of trauma and social care for children repatriated from Russian control.

To donate to Save Ukraine go to: https://giving.classy.org/campaign/716398/donate

Learn more about the mission to rescue these children at: http://saveukraineua.org